The School of Imam Sadiq (AS)

SHAFAQNA | by Leila Yazdani – Imam Al-Sadiq (A.S) caused the springs of knowledge and wisdom to gush out on the earth. He opened the doors to knowledge to the people they had not known before. By establishing that vast school of knowledge, Imam Ja‘far Al-Sadiq familiarized the people with the realities of true Islam, which are fulfilled by following Imam Ali (AS) and the Ahlul-Bayt (Peace be upon them).

Imam Al-Sadiq (AS), the inspired and great Imam (AS) opened new brilliant horizons in knowledge and science with a significant positive share in constructing the civilization and developing its tools in all aspects. The knowledge and science of the Imam (AS) extended to include the secrets of the universe, as well as the science of external space, the citizens of planets and other astonishing cases, which all call to believe in Allah (SWT), who granted him this superiority, creativity and intelligence.

Ja’far ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (AS) is renowned by both Sunni and Shia Muslims for his virtues, education, and accomplishments. For the sake of the propagation of the Shia constitution in the shadow of the knowledge, political sacrifices, and devotion, the Shia school was attributed to him and this religion was named as the Jafari religion. The school of the Imam and all the science foundations that branched from it established the edifices of knowledge and virtue in the Islamic world.

His approach and style in the field of politics, education and training, and in the upbringing of erudite and devoted students during his own time, bears invaluable lessons for scholars, thinkers, and reformers of all ages to come. A thorough study of the works of hadith, Quranic exegesis, jurisprudence, history, and biography (Sirah) reveals his influence and contribution in different arenas of science and politics. If we want to know the degree of Al- Sadiq’s (AS) knowledge, then we must think about the great number of those who learned from him.

Imam Sadiq (AS) played a positive role in giving life to the scientific life

Among the most important things of which Islam has taken care in its brilliant message is spreading cultural awareness and making public knowledge among people, for this reason it has made seeking knowledge as a religious obligation. The Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (AS) played a positive role in giving life to the scientific life and to develop it in the world of Islam, in spite of the harassment they met from the ruler of their times.

Among the most prominent activities they rendered in this way was founding a science school aiming at spreading all kinds of knowledge, freeing the opinions of the Muslims from ignorance and dullness. Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) founded Ja‘fari School (Madhhab Al-Ja‘fari) and contributed to the reconstruction and revival of Muhammad’s (PBUH) law (Shari‘a).

Yethrib; one of the institutes of sciences

Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) chose Yethrib, the land of emigration and place of descent of inspiration, as a place for his great school and institute; thanks to his efforts, Yethrib became one of the cities of science in Islam and one of the institutes of sciences. As for the place of giving lectures, it was, of course, the Mosque of the Prophet (PBUH) where the Imam (AS) gave his lectures and lessons on all arts. The Imam sometimes gave his lessons in the courtyard of his house. When the School of Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) opened its doors for all the children of the Muslims, a great number of the pioneers of science hurried to join it. The narrators mentioned that their number was four thousand students. This number is great in comparison with the other science institutes of that time.

Was Imam Sadiq (AS) the Founder of the Shia school or its promulgator?

This does not mean that Imam Ja‘far Al-Sadiq (AS) is the Founder of Shia thought, since as explained earlier Shia thought existed in the time of the Prophet (PBUH) in an organized and systematic manner. Mutawatir traditions and the illuminating guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had specified its limits, and passage of time and occurrences had no share in its development.

The first founder of this great school was Imam Ali (AS), the Commander of the faithful, the first pioneer of knowledge and development in Islam. He spared no effort to spread sciences and educate the Muslims; he used the Kufa Mosque as a school where he delivered from his pulpit his golden sermons full of economics, politics, administration, philosophy, ethics, enlightening awareness aiming at establishing good behavior and morals.

Imam Sadiq’s (AS) era is one of the most turbulent periods in the history of Islam

Imam Al-Sadiq’s (AS) era is characterized as one of the most turbulent periods in the history of Islam:

First , The prolific and productive life of Imam Ja‘far Al-Sadiq (A.S) coincided with the rule of five Umayyad caliphs (Hisham b. ‘Abdal-Malik, Walid b. Yazid, Yazid b. Walid, Ibrahim b. Walid, and Marwan Himar), each one of whom inflicted much persecution and sorrow upon the lofty soul of the Infallible Imam (A.S). The transference period of the Umayyad rule to Abbasids was the most violent and chaotic time in the life of Imam al-Sadiq (A.S). Two of the ‘Abbasid caliphs (Saffah and Mansur) also usurped the caliphate in the time of the Imam (A.S) and proved to be more tyrannical and unjust than the Umayyads. Consequently, Imam Al-Sadiq (A.S) lived his last ten years of life in insecurity and discomfort.

Second, on the other hand, his era was a time of clashes among schools and ideologies and an age of contradiction of different philosophical and theological thoughts which were raised by the encounter of the Islamic nations and those of the conquered lands as well as through the relations between Islamic centers and the rest of the world, creating enthusiasm and eagerness in Muslims for understanding and researching.

Third, It was an age in which the slightest negligence or unawareness and inactivity by the true guardian of Islam, i.e., Imam Al-Sadiq (AS), would have ruined the faith and marred the life-giving teachings of Islam, both from inside and out. It was then that the Imam (AS) was facing great troubles and bearing topmost responsibility. In such a critical situation, the sixth Imam (AS) had to be concerned with the salvage of the thoughts of Muslim masses from atheism and infidelity as well as preventing the Islamic principles and knowledge from deviating from the right path and the religious decrees from being wrongly and reversely interpreted and articulated by the caliphs of his time.

The Factors of Development and Prosperity of Imam Sadiq’s (AS) School

Followings are the factors that led to developing and progressing the School of Imam Al-Sadiq (AS):

1. The Islamic world in the time of Imam Al-Sadiq (A.S) was sinking under discords and disorders, swinging in corrupt inclinations and private tendencies, prevailed by the parties that led to the disunion of the society and the disagreement of its sectors.

Imam Al-Sadiq seized this appropriate opportunity and began spreading the Islamic culture that was part of the Islamic message. The Muslims again found the opportunity to return to the Islamic regime that had made it incumbent on them to seek knowledge as one of the religious duties. They found in the grandson of the great Prophet the leader who would direct them to build their civilization and scientific entity, so they intended to attend his school to supply themselves with its brilliant knowledge.

2. Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) , was apart from intervening in any of the affairs of the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid governments. He did not practice any positive act against the political objectives of the two states.
3. Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) , himself undertook the affairs of this institute and took care of it. The Muslims of all different tribes and tendencies have unanimously agreed that he was the most brilliant of all the Muslim Imams in knowledge, jurisprudence, and talents. It is natural that the personality of a den has an effect on making the school successful and prosperous.

The differences between the time of Imam Sadiq (AS) and the time of Imam Hussain (AS)

The distance between the two periods is nearly a century. Imam Al-Hussain’s (AS) martyrdom was in 61 AH whereas Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) passed away in 148 AH. There is a difference of about seventy to eighty years between the years of their deaths. During this period, the situation in the Muslim World changed dramatically. During the time of Imam Al-Hussain (AS) only one issue existed, which was the issue of rule and caliphate. The argument was about who should be the one to take charge of the affairs.

For this reason, the caliphate as a system had complete influence over all aspects of the government. Mu‘awiyah had an impressive and intense dictatorship system. The time and situation during the time had truly prepared the conditions for him to deprive everyone of their rights. The historians have written that if somebody wanted to narrate a tradition that spoke about the virtues of Imam ‘Ali, he would not say it before he was fully certain and confident that the listener would not disclose the issue.

It was a bizarre situation. They were cursing Imam Ali (AS) in every Friday Prayer, during speeches on every podium in the Mosques in the presence of Imam Al-Hassan (AS) and Imam Al-Hussain (AS). Therefore, we see that the history of Imam Al-Hussain’s (AS) time during the rule of Mu‘awiyah—i.e. the period starting from the martyrdom of Imam Ali (AS) until the martyrdom of Imam al-Hassan himself—was very vague. No one is reminded of Imam Al-Hussain (AS), no quotes, reports, traditions, conversations, sermons, not even a speech or a meeting with him has been mentioned during the time.

They were isolated in such a way that no one was able to even contact them. In such a situation if Imam al-Hussain was to live for another fifty years, there would not be any change, not even three sentences would be quoted from him. The possibility for any kind of activity was taken away from him. During the end of the Umayyad period which led to their downfall and during the ‘Abbasid period (especially the beginning) the situation changed. This change, firstly, created intellectual freedom among people.

Where this intellectual freedom originated from? Was this really the result of the politics of the Abbasids?

It has been mentioned in history books that a sudden exceptional movement and progression toward sciences took place and that the means had been prepared for people to present their capabilities in the sphere of science. The same means which did not at all exist previously, at the end of Imam Al-Baqir’s (AS) time and the beginning of the time of Imam Al-Sadiq (AS), were suddenly produced for those who wanted to be a part of the scientific and intellectual arena, to come and present their ideas. Enthusiasm and excitement are created among people on scientific issues. Such enthusiasm and excitement of a nation towards science is very rare in history.

There were, of course, other factors involved in affecting this movement, which the ‘Abbasids could not stop even if they wanted to. This was because other people of different races—other than the Arab race—had entered the Muslim World, the most vibrant of which was the Iranian race. The difference in races and nations had automatically prepared the means for intellectual exchange. That is to say, if Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) was not there, the values of Imam Al-Hussain’s (AS) uprising would never have been proven or clarified. If Imam Al-Sadiq(AS)  had not used this opportunity, this question could have been asked: did the Imam (AS) not want the caliphate for the sake of spreading Islam? Why did he not use this opportunity and get himself killed? The answer is: if the grounds were suitable, Imam Al-Sadiq (AS) would not have disregarded it.

Sources:

– Discussions Concerning Al-Mahdi (AJ), Lutfullah Safi Golpaygani

-The Life of Imam Musa Bin Ja’far Al-Kazim, Baqir Sharif al-Qurashi

-The Formation of the Jaʿfari Shiʿa Islamic School of Law from its Inception to the Occultation, Afzal Sumar

-Inquiries About Shi’a Islam, Sayyid Moustafa Al-Qazwini

-The Fourteen Luminaries of Islam, Ahmad Ahmadi Birjandi

-A Survey into the Lives of the Infallible Imams, Murtadha Mutahhari

– The Life of Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq, Baqir Sharif al-Qurashi

– Imam Sadiq: Role Model for Humanity, Rasoul Ja’farian

-Imam Sadiq’s Contribution to the Scientific Movement in the Early Period of Islam, Muhammad Wa’iz Zadeh-i Khurasani

-A Biography of Imam Ja‘far Al-Sadiq (AS), Muhammad Nasir Husayni ‘Ala’i